2008 Woodie Awards
Coffee Shop Does Not Meet Expectations of its Diners
Arthur's in La Habra does not live up to its storied reputation.
Claire Webster
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: Local
It has a rustic look from the outside, but a homey feeling on the inside: it is Arthur's Coffee Shop in La Habra.
Located in a corner strip mall, at the corner of east La Habra Boulevard and north Harbor Boulevard, Arthur's is easy to miss. Open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Arthur's only serves breakfast and lunch to its customers.
The staff seems to be very friendly and like a family, and they are extremely friendly, not just to their regular customers.
This "old fashioned" type of service is scarce these days, but occasionally it is stumbled upon in an unlikely place.
The interior goes very well with the attitude emanating from the staff. There are benches that appear old-fashioned with tables to match.
Even though everything looks like it was taken from the past, it is in no way a scene from another era.
The first noticeable things about Arthur's, besides the staff, is the fresh, all-natural ingredients the food is made with.
This is a great thing to see, but it seems to be the cause of some of the high prices on the menu.
Many of the items on the menu at Arthur's are comparable to other establishments, like Denny's, but there are some that may cause customers to do a double take.
The waffle with fresh strawberries and whipped cream is one of these items. Even though it comes with your choice of sausage or bacon, it is not worth $9.
Aside from the price, the waffle is decent, but a little on the sweet side. The strawberry topping is very fresh, but caused the waffle to become very mushy very quickly. Also, there was a little too much whipped cream; it seemed to be drowning the waffle.
The bacon was clearly overcooked and charcoaled, which for most makes the taste very difficult to enjoy.
This waffle is a good choice for anyone who has a sweet tooth and a big appetite, as it is very filling. Otherwise, it is recommended that it be shared.
On the lunch portion of the menu, an item that is not too expensive but extremely filling, is the Rueben sandwich, which can be found on the specials.
The sandwich comes a choice of side as well as a slice of orange and a small dab of custard, for the low price of $6.45.
There is also the "quickie" menu, which consists of various breakfast foods in smaller portions for a lower price.
On the "quickie" menu, meal eight is one of the best options. It consists of a half a waffle, bacon or sausage and an egg.
Once again, the bacon was overcooked. The eggs were well cooked, but not very hot. The meal was good, despite the lukewarm temperature of the eggs.
All of this food is available for $4.69. This is a great price, as it was very filling like everything on the menu seems to be.
Overall, Arthur's is a run of the mill coffee shop that has both flaws and higher prices.
It is worth a trip to check it out for breakfast, but it is not a place where anyone should rush out to for breakfast or lunch.
Located in a corner strip mall, at the corner of east La Habra Boulevard and north Harbor Boulevard, Arthur's is easy to miss. Open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Arthur's only serves breakfast and lunch to its customers.
The staff seems to be very friendly and like a family, and they are extremely friendly, not just to their regular customers.
This "old fashioned" type of service is scarce these days, but occasionally it is stumbled upon in an unlikely place.
The interior goes very well with the attitude emanating from the staff. There are benches that appear old-fashioned with tables to match.
Even though everything looks like it was taken from the past, it is in no way a scene from another era.
The first noticeable things about Arthur's, besides the staff, is the fresh, all-natural ingredients the food is made with.
This is a great thing to see, but it seems to be the cause of some of the high prices on the menu.
Many of the items on the menu at Arthur's are comparable to other establishments, like Denny's, but there are some that may cause customers to do a double take.
The waffle with fresh strawberries and whipped cream is one of these items. Even though it comes with your choice of sausage or bacon, it is not worth $9.
Aside from the price, the waffle is decent, but a little on the sweet side. The strawberry topping is very fresh, but caused the waffle to become very mushy very quickly. Also, there was a little too much whipped cream; it seemed to be drowning the waffle.
The bacon was clearly overcooked and charcoaled, which for most makes the taste very difficult to enjoy.
This waffle is a good choice for anyone who has a sweet tooth and a big appetite, as it is very filling. Otherwise, it is recommended that it be shared.
On the lunch portion of the menu, an item that is not too expensive but extremely filling, is the Rueben sandwich, which can be found on the specials.
The sandwich comes a choice of side as well as a slice of orange and a small dab of custard, for the low price of $6.45.
There is also the "quickie" menu, which consists of various breakfast foods in smaller portions for a lower price.
On the "quickie" menu, meal eight is one of the best options. It consists of a half a waffle, bacon or sausage and an egg.
Once again, the bacon was overcooked. The eggs were well cooked, but not very hot. The meal was good, despite the lukewarm temperature of the eggs.
All of this food is available for $4.69. This is a great price, as it was very filling like everything on the menu seems to be.
Overall, Arthur's is a run of the mill coffee shop that has both flaws and higher prices.
It is worth a trip to check it out for breakfast, but it is not a place where anyone should rush out to for breakfast or lunch.
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